The Internet has become a powerful instructional resource. Regardless of the subject, sites provide great resources for your content area and grade level. This chapter will list just a handful of the thousands of online resources available. To keep within an educator’s budget, and because many great free tools are out there, this chapter does not focus on paid applications. Keep in mind that most free applications also offer paid options with more bells and whistles. Depending on your needs, investing in a paid application may be worth it! Signing up for the application usually puts you on the email list. Keep an eye out, as they usually run specials if you desire the paid plan! The sites included are some of the tried-and-true tools educators around the world use in their classrooms across a variety of content areas.

First, let’s define a web-based (or browser-based) tool: software that runs on your web browser. Browser-based software requires only an Internet connection and a browser to run. The difference between a web browser and software is that web-based software does not require installation. Most web-based software runs on a remote server and is accessed through your web browser.

Many applications available are web-based and/or available on a mobile device operating system. This increases the versatility of the applications for teachers to use with their students in the classroom. Online tools have opened the door to resources for creativity, collaboration, multimedia, photo and image tools, and productivity, to name a few. The vastness of resources on the Internet makes it impossible to discuss them all; therefore, this chapter presents a collection of resources focused primarily on free, web-based tools and applications.

An important thing to look for in a web-based application is whether it requires you to download the software to use it. This can run the risk of a virus, or your institution may not authorize the download of unapproved applications. The simplicity, or lack thereof, of an application may sway your decision to use it or encourage students to use it. For example, if an application constantly has pop-ups that attempt to install other programs during setup, that may be a drawback. A good rule of thumb is to search for the application and/or software you’re considering. Reading information and reviews is wise.

Creativity Tools

Art & Graphic Design

• Adobe Express 
• Krita

Avatars

• avatarmaker.com
• Adobe Express Character Creator
  

  

Cartoon and Book Creator

• Book Creator
• Pixton
• Storyboard That
• Toony Tool

World Clouds

• EdWordle

media creation

Technology for media creation is an essential component of 21st-century digital literacy.

• Adobe Express

• Animoto
• Canva
• Padlet
• Piktochart
• Powtoon
• Prezi

Collaboration Tools

Collaboration in education is often a well-kept secret that teachers do not realize has a significant impact on both themselves and their students. Research shows that collaboration fosters higher-level thinking in students, boosts their confidence and self-esteem, and helps them thrive in a collaborative environment. According to the National Education Association, the following are some advantages of a cooperative educational environment for students and teachers:

• Collaboration helps brainstorm creative ideas. (Think peer-to-peer; teachers bouncing ideas off one another and as a result, amazing things happen!)
• Professional collaboration (teacher-to-teacher). Join a professional learning community!
• Learning collaboratively helps students. (students working collaboratively) (Gates, n.d.)

Meeting

• Zoom

Polls and Audience Response Tools

• Slido
  • An online-based polling platform that operates in the classroom and online.  Types of polls include multiple choice, word clouds, rating scales, and short answers. Polls can be conducted live as a way to engage learners or administer a quiz in class.
• Poll Everywhere
• Mentimeter – Free is limited to 50 participants per month, unlimited 1 time/month.

QR Code Generators

• QR Code Generator
• Web QR
• GoQR.me
• Chrome – There are two ways to create a QR Code in the Google Chrome browser.
  • Right-click on the image on any webpage and select “Create QR Code for this image.”

• • Built-in QR Code Generator – Go to the webpage that you want to share. Click the share icon in the top right-hand corner of the omnibox; Select QR Code.

Whiteboards

• Explain Everything Whiteboard
• FigJam
• LucidSpark
• Miro
• ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard (Apple)

Conversion Tools

With so much of our communication, documentation, materials, and files in digital format, it is often necessary to convert one document type to another. The following web-based apps are examples of standard converters.

General Converters

• Zamzar is an online file conversion service that supports over 1,000 document formats.
• Converter365.com

Multimedia Converters

• Any Video Converter Free
• Online.Convert.com (also as a Chrome extension)

OCR Converters – OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition. Our world is filled with digital information that we rely on and frequently need to edit.

• Read this article from Illinois State University that gives step-by-step instructions:
  • Convert an Image-Only PDF with Text Recognition using Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.

Scanner Apps

• Adobe Scan mobile app (iPhone and Android) – This app automatically finds the document borders to scan!
• Fast Scanner App (phone or tablet) – Watch this video to see how the Fast Scanner App works!

Multimedia Tools

Audio

• Audacity is an open-source audio recording software. It provides a simple, free way to record audio, along with multiple options for advanced editing features. You can then export the audio in various formats, including .mp3.
  • Visit the links below to download Audacity on a PC and Mac:
    • Windows
    • Mac
• GarageBand (Apple and also available for Windows)

Video/Movie Making

• Animoto
• iMovie (Apple)
• YouTube Video Editor
• Vimeo

Photo Image Tools

Animated GIFS

• GIPHY
• ezgif.com
• imgflip
• Visme GIF Maker
• Picsart

Collage Tools

• Photocollage
• Canva

Photo Editors

• Be Funky – A free online photo editor that also offers a collage maker.
• Pixlr Editor
• Free Online Photo Editor

Content Subject Tools

ART

• Adobe Fresco – Drawing and painting app built for iPads or devices that use a stylus
• Sketchpad – Simple and free web-based tool

Productivity Tools

Charts/Diagrams/Mindmaps

• Mindmeister
• Lucidchart
• Creately
• Visme

Organization/Note-taking

• Google Keep
• Wakelet
• Simplenote
• Padlet

Quiz Makers

• Gimkit
  • Designed by a high school student! It lets you write real-time quizzes.
• Kahoot
• Socrative

  screen recording and screen capture

Screen Recording

• Screen recorder, screencasting software, and screen capture software are different names for the same tool that allows you to record a computer screen’s output.
  • Mac – Use QuickTime Player
  • PC – Microsoft Stream

Screen Recording Apps

• ScreenPal (Formerly Screencast-o-matic)
• Screencastify (Chrome extension)

Screen Capture

• Screen capture lets you record whatever is happening on your computer. The capture can be an image or a video, depending on the software used.
• FireShot – Captures full web pages and integrates with your browser.
• Both Apple and PC operating systems let you create a screen capture.
  • Mac – How to take a screenshot on your Mac.
  • PC

How to record the screen on your Mac

• This Apple Support article provides detailed instructions and image guides for recording your entire screen or a selected portion.
• Link: Record the screen on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Sharing Files and Links

File Sharing

• File Sharing

  According to Techopedia, file sharing is the practice of sharing or offering access to digital information or resources, including documents, multimedia (audio/video), graphics, computer programs, images, and e-books (2011).

  When sharing files, there are essential facts that one must ask:

  • How am I sharing the digital information?
  • What type of file sharing?
  • What format should be used?
  • What permissions does the file I am sending need? (read-only, edit, comment)
• Read this article from Lifewire: What is File Sharing and How Do You Do It? 

Sharing Links

• When sharing a link with another person(s), you must share it correctly the first time. 
  • Ensure that you have the permissions set correctly so that the person receiving the link can open. There is nothing more time consuming, and irritating than the inability to view a link that you have been shared.

Web 2.0 tools

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) 

• In short, RSS pulls information and content to a website when new information is available. Educators use it to collect necessary information for their students that changes regularly or adjusts to what is relevant at the moment. Think about things like the weather, news headlines, organizational announcements, schedules, magazines, data sheets, and music that could regularly be updated to your web page, course, or school site. With an RSS feed, it does all this automatically, similar to your Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat account when others post.
  • Reading: What Is an RSS Feed? (And Where to Get It)

Podcasting

A podcast is a digital audio or video file or recording, usually part of a themed series, that can be downloaded from a website to a media player or computer. (Dictionary.com)

• Reading: How Podcasting Works
• The following article from NPR provides a guide to start your own Podcast: Starting Your Podcast: A Guide for Students
• This article gives examples of seven ways to use podcasts in education and five ways to use podcasts in teaching: 7 Reasons to Use Podcasts in Education

iTunes is an excellent directory for podcasts with a specific category for education or Google search “Educational Podcasts.” Podcasts are available in a variety of content areas and grade levels.

Blog Sites

A blog is a website maintained by an individual or group that is updated with new posts regularly. The latest posts are usually text-based, but can also include images, audio, and video. The name blog comes from the term weblog. Emphasizing the fact that the group is logging their progress in whatever they are blogging about. Posts on a blog are typically displayed in reverse-chronological order, and readers of the blog are usually allowed to reply to comments on the original post. Blogs can serve a variety of purposes, including sharing knowledge, describing a process over time, or simply keeping a personal diary. A blogger is an individual who blogs (verb) on a blog (noun).

• There are a variety of sites that allow you to create an account and have your own blog site for free. Popular blog sites include:
  • Blogger – free blogging site owned by Google
  • WordPress – a free blogging site and open-source code for custom integration
  • TypePad – fee-based blogging site

Wiki

Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia, is a wiki software called MediaWiki. A worldwide community of contributors writes the content on Wikipedia on each specific topic. When new content is first added, it doesn’t go directly to Wikipedia’s front pages. Instead, Wikipedia operates like a drama theater, with a stage, a curtain, and a backstage area. Behind the curtain, numerous individuals are active. However, only a select few are on the stage for the audience to see and hear. When users add content to Wikipedia, it is first added in the backstage area. Here, a worldwide community of users validates it, ensuring that only the most accurate information makes it to the stage. If the newly added content is disproved or lacks appropriate sources, it remains in development behind the stage. When content is added with proper sources and validated by the community, it is then allowed to be published on the stage for everyone to see.

• There are a variety of sites that allow you to create wikis for free. You can also download and install wiki software from a variety of sites.
  • MediaWiki – free wiki code for custom integration
  • TWiki – free wiki code for custom integration

Bibliography

Gates, S. (n.d.). Benefits of collaboration. NEA. Retrieved January 7, 2022, from https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/benefits-collaboration

Mitchell, B. (2021, June 18). What does file sharing mean? How do I set up a file share? Lifewire. https://www.lifewire.com/file-sharing-on-computer-networks-817371

Pollette, S. W. & C. (2005, March 26). How podcasting works. HowStuffWorks. https://computer.howstuffworks.com/internet/basics/podcasting.htm

Saigal, R. (2019, December 8). The 6 best free mind map tools (and how to best use them). MUO. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/8-free-mind-map-tools-best-use/

Techopedia. (2011, August 31). File sharing. Techopedia. https://www.techopedia.com/definition/16256/file-sharing